"Blacks have lived daily under the threat of police violence and misconduct," Gray said.

Two of the protests drew large numbers of arrests: About 120 people were arrested in downtown St. Louis on Sept. 17, and 22 were arrested at the St. Louis Galleria shopping mall in the St. Louis County town of Richmond Heights on Sept. 23

Journalists and other onlookers have been among those arrested. St. Louis police used a tactic known as "kettling" that forces people into an increasingly smaller area during the Sept. 17 arrests, which occurred after protesters hurled rocks and other objects at police and broke out windows at several downtown businesses

Police in St. Louis shut down a large shopping mall on “Black Friday” to arrest activists protesting police violence. The arrests included a state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. (D), a black lawmaker who could be heard screaming in pain in video that shows multiple officers on top of the handcuffed officer, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Dozens of people waited outside the St. Louis County Jail for the release of the one woman and six men arrested during the peaceful protest.

“When they come out the door, we want them to know we’re here for them,” said the Rev. Darryl Gray outside the jail.